Need a mood boost?

If you were to imagine eating to boost your mood, you’d be forgiven for thinking of comfort eating – perhaps curled up with some ice cream on the sofa?  Whilst this might give us immediate comfort and could be an occasional treat – what about foods that can genuinely help us to feel good?  These include foods packed with nutrients that have a positive impact on our brain chemistry and emotions, and help balance our feel-good neurotransmitters. 

These foods and nutrients can be pretty easy to incorporate into our day to day meals, and here are some of my favourites:

 1. Oily Fish

Salmon, mackerel, anchovies, sardines and herring (SMASH) are packed with long chain omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for brain health and mood regulation. These help to reduce inflammation in the brain, improve neurotransmitter function, and may even protect against depression and anxiety.  Aim to include oily fish in your diet 2- 3 times a week to reap the mood-boosting benefits.  More than this can potentially increase your toxic load, especially with the larger fish higher up the food chain that can contain mercury.  For this reason avoid swordfish and marlin, and limit fresh tuna.

 2. Antioxidants

Eating a rainbow of plant foods helps to provide a wide range of different antioxidants.  Antioxidants help to quench free radicals in the body.  Free radicals are produced during several reactions in the body (almost like pollution), and can damage our body’s cells – including brain cells.  They can also play an important role in reducing inflammation.

 3. Probiotic Rich Foods

Fermented foods such as yoghurt, kefir, sauerkraut, and kimchi are rich in probiotics.  These are beneficial bacteria for the gut.  A healthy gut microbiome supports mood regulation. The link between our gut and our brain is well-established (the gut-brain axis).  For example, the vast majority of our serotonin (one of the feel-good neurotransmitters) is found in the gut, rather than the brain!

 4. Dark Chocolate

70% or more cacao dark chocolate is rich in flavonoids.  These are a type of antioxidants that have been shown to improve mood and cognitive function. Enjoying a small piece of dark chocolate can stimulate the release of endorphins, the body's natural mood lifters, and promote feelings of pleasure and relaxation.

If you like your chocolate dark, try 85% cacao.  This was recently shown to have an even more positive effect on the gut microbiome than 70% cacao. Of course, dark chocolate also comes with sugar, so eat in small portions (approx 25-30g) as a treat.

 5.  Dark Leafy Greens

Dark leafy greens such as spinach, kale, and rocket are rich in folate. This is one of the B vitamins that plays a crucial role in mood regulation. Folate helps the body produce the important mood regulating neurotransmitters - serotonin and dopamine. 

 It goes without saying that nutrition affects our mood and mental health, and healthy foods can nourish both our body and mind.  As with our physical health, exercise and other lifestyle factors affect our mental wellbeing too.  And if you are struggling with your mental health and mood, then do consult your GP.